On the Other Side
by KittythePyro
Summary: EdxRoy, EdxWinry. Ed and Al don't stay in Germany for long. Postmovie. Rated for later chapters.
1. Prologue

A/N: This is something that popped into my head. I just typed it up, so I am still editing. The rest is not complete but should go up pretty quickly. Pairings are EdxRoy and EdxWinry. I like EdxRoy more, but I'm not sure how this one will end. Sentences in italics are thoughts.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA.

After the Gate in Germany was destroyed and Al got his body back, Edward believed that he could live a somewhat normal life. Normal compared to what his life had been up to that point, anyway. He had his brother and although he missed everyone else terribly, Alphonse mattered the most. And they no longer needed to search for the stone. They _chose _to travel. They came and went as they wanted. It was the life Edward dreamed of having with his brother all those years the Philosopher's Stone seemed light years out of reach. There was just one problem: Alphonse kept trying to get him a girlfriend. At 20, Edward Elric did not have a love interest. Even Al had started seeing girls and was worried why Ed had not. Ed didn't have the heart to tell him yet. He was worried about what Al would think, how differently his brother would see him. Al was the only person he had left and he didn't want to do or say anything to cause any kind of rift between them. So he kept his mouth shut and politely turned down girls that showed an interest in him. He knew he couldn't keep up the façade forever, but he was also very big into procrastination. Luckily, he didn't have to hide it for long.

Even though they had done their part, somehow part of the Gate had stayed intact. They were on a train to visit science professors from the University of Stuttgart and the University of Hohenheim. They had been traveling for weeks, discussing the newest designs for rockets with different scientists. They didn't see the familiar blue light until it engulfed their vision. It shook the earth and the train derailed, sending passengers flying out of their seats. Their panicked screams fell to hushed whispers after only moments of chaos. Ed and Al looked at each other, eyes wide and unbelieving. The Gate was hovering a few hundred meters in front of the train.

"That bastard didn't destroy the Gate," Ed spat. Thousands of black hands flew out, grabbing up passengers and dragging them into the darkness beyond the doorway. The two brothers were already on their feet and running the opposite direction.

"Maybe _we _didn't completely destroy the Gate, brother!" Alphonse yelled over the other passenger's cries. Ed said nothing, brooding, because it was possible. He opened his mouth to respond, to say it was all Mustang's fault, to tell his brother that they did what they could, and could only get out a strangled sob. Al was getting farther and farther ahead. Ed looked down and saw his torso and legs were covered in black. He fearfully looked over his shoulder. Yep. He was going into the Gate. Again. His life with Al was over. He looked back to Alphonse, feeling horrible for leaving him alone in this strange world, and saw that his brother had stopped running. The black hands were shooting towards him, but he didn't budge. He tried to shout out, but the hands had covered his chest, squeezing so hard that he could barely breathe. He was vaguely aware that Al was screaming his name. Edward fought against the hands, but could no longer see his sibling, only black. He felt himself moving quickly, then nothing. No sound, no light, no pain. He suddenly felt exhausted and his eyes closed.

A/N: Well, that's the prologue. If you did not guess, it is set after the movie, so I can make up whatever I want. ::evil grin:: If you like it, love it, or hate it so far, please review. It's always greatly appreciated.


	2. Update

Update: I figured out what I'm doing with this story. It was all over the place, as you can probably tell. I knew how I wanted it to start and how I wanted it to end (already posted). Now I have the middle! Well, I at least know what I'm doing for the middle. I Quentin Tarantino'ed it, but the gaping holes of how exactly things ended up the way they did is well on the way! Hoorah! For now, I wouldn't expect too much from the story. It's really just the prologue and maybe a chapter from the end. If you like my writing style, check back to see the crazy events waiting to unfold.


	3. The Beginning

A/N: Ok, here is my first, real, official chapter one following the prologue. The other rambling one before this was my attempt to work things out in my head and give you guys a taste of my writing style. Long story short: stick around if you want to know how the relationships get complex and you like smut. Especially man on man smut. I don't think I'll be doing any het smut. I _might_. Maybe, _if _there is someone who likes the story and requests some het smut, I just might do it. You never know. Alright, sorry again for the random rambling passage after the prologue, I hope it at least let you know if you wanted to stick around or not. Review if you feel the need. I always read reviews and appreciate getting them.

x x x x x

Edward opened his eyes. Light assaulted his vision and he squeezed them shut again. He brought his left hand up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but stopped halfway. _Al_. The last time he saw Al, the Gate was trying to drag both of them in. He shot up in bed and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot through the right side of his body, from his side to his shoulder. He tried to grab his right arm, but only found air. He started to panic. His eyes darted around the room and he realized he must be in a hospital. His arm was nowhere in sight. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and took a deep breath. _Well, at least my leg is still intact._ His shoulder ached and he felt weak, but he had to find Alphonse. After he knew Al was ok, then he could try to figure out where they ended up.

Strong hands landed on his shoulders and pulled him backwards. Before he had a chance to react, he was looking up into the face of RoyMustang. He looked angry, but the proximity made Edward blush.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mustang crossed his arm and took a step back. Ed sat up in bed and looked quizzically at the older man. _Is he the Colonel I know or am I still in Germany? _Ed looked him up and down, trying to figure out how to react to the comment. _Either way, I need to get away from him so I can find Al._ Ed frowned. He was missing an eye just like the Colonel back home. He looked the same build and age. He was wearing dark pants and a white button up shirt. Then the Colonel smirked.

"Is your brain as little as you are? I asked you a question." Ed's head snapped up.

"Bastard," he muttered and attempted again to climb out of the bed. Mustang stepped towards him. Ed glared at the Colonel.

"I'm going to find Al. Don't try to stop me." Mustang stopped his advance and shrugged.

"Go get him if you want to. He's down in the cafeteria. He's been up and about for a couple days now. I would suggest that you do not, since it's probable you'll bust your stitches and Winry hasn't come back with your arm yet. Besides, he'll be up in a few minutes." Ed sighed in relief, overjoyed to hear that his brother was fine. He felt the urge to go and get him, anyway, but knew the Colonel was probably right, as much as he hated to admit it. Without the need to worry about how Al was, other questions floated into Ed's head.

"So what are you doing here? Are you here because the military sent you? Or are you just here to bother me?" Mustang looked mildly surprised at the sudden barrage of questions, but answered them nonetheless.

"Because I want to be, no, and maybe." He sat next to the bed in a chair Edward had failed to notice before.

"Maybe?" Ed scoffed. He looked the Colonel up and down again, this time taking in the differences between the Mustang he last saw and the one that sat before him. He looked basically the same, except that he had bags under his eyes. _Maybe he was worried?_ Ed shook the thought away, even though he desperately wanted it to be true. He heard Mustang chuckle and looked up to meet his gaze. Amusement danced behind his dark eyes.

"What's so funny?" Ed asked indignantly.

"You're so distracted, I got away with calling you short. I didn't think I would see the day that would happen." Ed growled.

"I'm not short anymore! Besides, I'm busy wondering how the Hell I got back here and why you feel the need to come by to torture me while I'm injured." Mustang's smiled faded and he turned serious.

"An amateur alchemist attempted some complicated alchemy. He happened upon some fragments of the stone left over from Gluttony's body that were strewn all over the battleground. Some must have been missed during the cleanup. We thought we destroyed the Gate, but he was able to activate it. He got sucked into the Gate and we found you and your brother. No one else came through that we know of." There was a knock on the door. Both men turned towards the sound. They could see a nurse standing in the hallway. Mustang stood and started towards to the door.

"And I came to see you because I was worried." Ed felt butterflies in his stomach. He wanted to say something, anything, about it, but Mustang opened the door for the nurse, who immediately started asking him about a date he had promised her. Ed rolled his eyes and let himself fall back onto the bed. It hurt when he hit, but it distracted him from the scene before him. And the knowledge that he was right—the things he felt were not mutual. He counted the minutes until Al came back to see him.


	4. Hospital Blues

A/N: The story's actually moving along now yay! I plan on going back through and editing the story as a whole once it is completed. I may change things around, get rid of the teaser chapter, or move sections as I see fit to make the story flow better. Let me know if you have any suggestions or if I need to go back and edit better. Sometimes my brain and spell check take a vacation and typos slip through. As always, it's appreciated.

x x x x x

Mustang ducked out the door and the nurse came in to check Ed's vitals. After announcing he was getting back to normal, she left and he was left alone in the room. Ed more or less pouted for the ten minutes it took his brother to get back to him. As soon as Al entered the room, it was apparent that Mustang had left without saying to him. Al's eyes lit up upon seeing his older brother sitting up, very much awake, even if he did look a little upset.

"Brother! You're finally up!" Al smiled wide and crossed the room. One arm was up in a sling, so he used his good arm to move a chair next to the bed. Apart from the sling and a small cut on the young alchemist's cheek, there appeared to be nothing wrong with him.

"Sorry I wasn't here when you got up. I got hungry waiting. Winry should be here by tomorrow, too!" He was his usual, animated self.

"Yeah? Is that who took my arm?" Al nodded in response.

"It was banged up pretty bad. She took it back to Risembul to get some parts for it."

"Let's get out of here, then. Maybe we can meet her in Risembul." Al frowned at this and shook his head.

"No way. You're still hurt. The doctors won't let you out for a couple of days, at least."

"Oh, come on. You know how much I hate these places. Besides, once we're in Risembul, we can relax." For a moment, it looked like Al was considering the proposition. Then he shook his head again.

"There's no way you can get out right now. Even if you convinced the doctors to let you go, I think the General would kill you."

"Huh, what General?"

"General Mustang. He said that even though you were M.I.A. for a while, you're still in the military under his command." Ed started fuming. "And he said that he wanted you kept here until you can get around on your own."

"I can get around fine!" Ed protested, furious that the man that had pretended to be oh-so-worried about him was keeping him trapped in a hospital. Al looked skeptical.

"Even with the deep laceration in your side?" Ed looked down and saw a large white bandage covering his lower right torso and side. He sighed, knowing there was no way to get out of there immediately.

"You're lucky it didn't hit any organs. You should pay more attention to your injuries and not just rush out of the hospital before you're ready." Ed had stopped listening. He was back to sulking. Al decided it was best to change the subject.

"Are you hungry? I could grab you something and bring it up," he offered. Ed nodded.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm starving." Ed laid back down and started sorting things out in his head. He was still horribly confused over what exactly Mustang, _the General_, was attempting to do. On the bright side, he would see Winry again. She was almost always a Hell of a lot less perplexing than that man. Not too much later, Al returned with some food. Ed had become aware of how badly his stomach was gurgling and vaguely wondered how long he had been out for. It had been long enough for Al to be released and Winry to take his arm. He figured it didn't matter that much as long as he got out soon.


	5. Update2

Alright, I decided to go ahead and take down my mini-spoiler since I now know what I'm going to be doing with this story. I should be able to get a chapter or two up per day, depending on what I have to do that day. Hopefully I'll be able to put more up than that this weekend.

Have fun reading and review if you have anything to say about it so far.


	6. Heartache

A/N: Per request by review, I will be making longer chapters. Thanks Pojo-San for being the first reviewer! This means that I may not be updating as often as I had originally projected, but I'll have a lot more story for you guys when I do

x x x x x

Ed had convinced Al to go get some rest. Winry had an apartment in Central, but still traveled frequently back and forth to Risembul. She had given Al they keys before she left. There had been a lot of complaining by both parties, but in the end, Ed got his way. Even though he was exhausted by the events of the day, Ed fell into a very restless sleep, waking often in a cold sweat. After daybreak came, he was able to sleep for a few hours, only to be awakened by someone touching him. _Poking_ him.

Ed cracked one eye open groggily and groaned. He saw Winry, tools in one hand, digging through her toolbox with her free hand. She muttered to herself, tossing bolts and small parts haphazardly onto the small table. _Well, she's not poking me_. Ed craned his neck and saw his arm laying against his automail shoulder, the hand splayed out on the bed and lightly touching his side. Winry spun around with a triumphant smile, throwing one hand up in the air.

"Yes! I knew I had it in there _somewhere_." Ed pushed himself up with his left arm and smiled at her craziness. Upon seeing Ed awake, Winry's victorious smile faded. She moved his arm to the table so she could sit down next to him. She let the parts she was holding fall onto the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She laid her head on his shoulder and squeezed tight; Ed knew she wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"I'm really glad you two came back."

Then she started crying. It wasn't very obvious, but Ed could feel her sobbing against him. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, doing the best he could to comfort her. After a few minutes, she pulled back and looked at him. Ed let his arm fall away, slightly uncomfortable with the situation.

"I'm glad, too. Still not quite sure what happened, but we're both back." He quickly changed the subject. "So, Al said you're living in Central now?" She gave him a small smile and gathered up the tools that had fallen onto the bed.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many people in the city need quality automail work. Granny still runs the shop in Risembul, I just do work for people who can't travel that far."

"What's been going on these past couple of years?" Winry described her life and events of the past two years while she worked diligently on the no-longer smashed limb. Still working on the automail, Winry inquired about life in Germany. Ed told her about everything after Al came back. All the projects and traveling. He found it easy to talk to her, now more-so than before. Now he didn't have to worry about endangering her by telling her where he had been and what he had been doing. It was a nice feeling to be able to just talk to someone and not worry about them being put at risk.

"So, did you have a girlfriend?" Ed was caught off-guard and didn't know how to respond. There had been Noa, but she had turned out to be a completely different person that he had thought. There had been one person he was interested in, but they were separated by the Gate.

"Uh, no, I guess not." Then he fell quiet. She had never asked him about his personal life before. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence until the door opened, breaking the heavy silence. Mustang walked in, dressed in blue military uniform pants and a white button up shirt. He saw the two sitting on the bed. A thousand thoughts ran through Ed's mind, most of which focused on Winry's hated for the man and wondering how badly she would injure him in a hospital. To his surprise, they spoke civilly to each other, almost friendly.

"Ms. Rockbell," Mustang nodded in her direction.

"General." She finished tightening the last bolt into place and looked up.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He lingered near the door, waiting for a response.

"No, I'm almost finished Then I'm going to pick Al up. If that's ok?" She looked to Ed, who nodded.

"Yeah, I was wondering why he hadn't been by. Do you live that far away?"

"Not too far, but I told him I would pick him up when I was done. Are you ready?" Winry held Ed's arm, prepared to reconnect it. Ed shook his head. He knew as soon as the metal hit his nerves, he would probably be out for a little while. It was always painful enough to make him pass out. He looked over Winry's shoulder to the General standing near the door.

"Was there something you needed to tell me?"

"Yes. It appears that you're healing fine. Must faster than expected. The doctors agreed to let you out later today as long as you're very careful. I've assured them that you will be and I've arranged for you and your brother to stay in Central. I will return when you're released." He said a quick good-bye to Winry and left. Winry looked to Ed again. He nodded and gritted his teeth. Winry pushed the arm into place and locked it. Ed saw bright pinpricks of light that quickly faded into darkness and encompassed his vision. He was out before he hit the pillow.

x x x x x

From the hospital room to his car, the General saw the two blondes sitting together. He sighed heavily, asking himself again why he had decided to show up. Why he couldn't stay away, even after he found out Edward was going to be fine. Why he wanted so much for the conversation he had a few days prior to be a dream. When it came to the Elrics, especially Ed, he had always gone to the Rockbell girl. She knew them better than anyone else and would be the one to know what was going on. He was glad that she talked to him and had seemed to accept his sincere, heartfelt apology about her parents until about four days ago. When Edward Elric was in the military and searching for the Philosopher's Stone, he was very young and had a huge goal to accomplish. He never felt right about his care and emotion for him. He hadn't allowed himself to think that way until he saw Ed, back from the Gate with a war on his tail. He had grown up considerably, but was undoubtedly the same person. He was glad the boy hadn't ended up dead. More than happy. He had come to terms with what he felt, but became very depressed upon realizing the person he cared for was a world out of reach. He hadn't dated anyone. He quit the military. He lived in solitude until Ed came back. After that short time, he felt revitalized. He knew that they were okay and that made him feel at peace.

They came back a second time. This time, with both the boys pretty much intact, he wasn't going to wait around for them to leave again. He was going to tell Ed. Even if it meant rejection, which he hated. He was older and they were in a different position. He had gone to the hospital, waiting to see if Ed would wake up. Alphonse had called Winry, who had rushed over and stood waiting in the room when he arrived. They ended up talking, mostly about Ed. He never let on why he was there and instead listened what Ed had been like before the military. Then she told him. She loved Ed. Always had. Ed had never wanted to have a relationship because of the dangerous work he sometimes did, but she knew that with him being back for good, it could work out. She had had boyfriends and was seeing someone, but was preparing to break it off. Because she knew that she was meant to be with Ed. He came back, didn't he? He felt like someone had hit in the stomach. Of course Ed liked his childhood friend that he grew up with, trusted, and _who was a girl_. It seemed completely hopeless, but something kept drawing him back. Maybe it was his own desperation for a meaningful relationship. Or closure for something that had bothered him for years. Or maybe it was his love, needing to be recognized or rejected so he could move on.

Whatever it was, it kept him showing up, half of him hoping that maybe it would fall through, and the other half wishing to see him happy. It drove him to this street, to this hospital, to the same room, just to see him again. He sighed again and started his car. As amazing as Edward was, it was possible that he was out of his reach.


	7. Back to Normal

A/N: It is that time again in which I go back to school. I will be writing as much as I can, but I am not sure how often I will be able to update. I am, however, very dedicated to this story and delight in how many people have already added it to their alert list. It is wonderful to know that there are people besides myself who are interested in what will happen. I sincerely hope that everyone will enjoy this story as much as I am enjoying writing it.

x x x x x

In the weeks that passed, stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist, restored to his former title, spread across Central like wildfire. The Alchemist of the People had returned to his former glory, no longer M.I.A. or being hunted down for treason. Some had heard that the boy had brought war into the country and that all the strange happenings were linked to him. Some thought his return would bring nothing but trouble, but most still held the respect for him that they had when the young boy had fought battles for them, the people. Edward, still a part of the military, was chained to a desk until he was completely healed. He complained about the endless papers pushed in front of him and hated sitting around all day instead of meeting people and going places. Secretly, he loved being back at Central and loved being close to the man he adored even more. He had come to terms that his affection would never be returned, but still admired the man he served under, even if it caused his heart to ache when he looked at him.

The entire office was glad to hear of Ed's homecoming and welcomed him back as a fellow officer. There was a lot less tension in the office, partially due to the fact that there was no longer a Fuhrer, but a council of men that made the country's most important decisions. General Mustang could no longer aspire to the forever-closed position, so he had dedicated himself to be a loyal General to the military and his men. With a time of peace gracing the country, the office was often bright and cheerful, with small decisions to be made and the occasional disciplinary action to be taken. Still, there was a Hell of a lot of paperwork.

Even with the tranquil time upon them, Ed spent most days in the office, trying to find something he could bring to the General's attention. Most were mistakes in papers or issues Ed did not see the point in addressing or signing off on. As was the routine before he left, most of the discussions with the General ended in arguments. Mustang rarely liked to argue, unless it was with Fullmetal. He kept his mask in place most of the time and was successful in winning most of the confrontations. Every once in a while, Ed would be right, but the General would fight him, nonetheless. It was in this position that Ed would know he was right and deliver some blows beneath the belt. Mustang would become amused, then irritated, then angry. His mask would slip and the two men would end up in each other's face, yelling so loud that Hawkeye, more often than not, would enter the room brandishing her gun to get them to stop. At the end of every yelling match, the General would shoot Ed a bemused smirk as his mask fell back into place and Ed would huff and stomp off, muttering about how difficult it was to _just talk_ to the man.

Everyone in the office suspected, but no one knew. No one else paid any mind to the fact that the General, who could still seduce just about any woman into doing anything, turned his attention solely to his office when Edward came back. No one seemed to notice that boy that had fought for the people, left, and returned a man did not care when beautiful, young women would flirt with him. It was all easily explained away: He had a girlfriend that he truly cared about, the pretty blonde that he grew up with. The only problem with this theory was that he treated her the same way. Every time she came by the office for something or another, Ed was happy to see her and talk to her. When she would give subtle hints at anything more, he would become bored or restless and ultimately find other work he had to do. The whole of General Mustang's office watched the events with growing interest, but never once was anything said. The last thing they wanted to do was get both of the men in trouble that could never be easily explained away.

x x x x x

It was like clockwork in the office. Winry would come visit. Ed would ignore her efforts towards a relationship. The General would become sullen, although no one saw it firsthand except Hawkeye. Mustang would accept a date from a woman so he could move on. Edward would notice and become extremely sensitive to any and all criticism. The two men would find something insignificant to yell at each other about and afterwards, they would calm down. Rinse. Repeat. Neither of them had the courage to talk honestly to the other and no one was going to force them and acknowledge the underlying emotions between the two. This was their schedule and everyone had grown accustomed to it. It did not make everyone happy, but there was a balance. However, a delicate balancing act is not always good for everyone all the time.

She had gotten fed up. She had been in love with her childhood friend for as long as she could remember. She had clung to the hope that he would return, but never counted on it. She had trouble keeping a relation with a man because she was always secretly hoping he would come back and they could be together. She had considered that he did not feel the same way, but the way he could be so awkward around her, how he blushed when she hugged him or held his hand amazed her. He was the last person she thought would be so shy about his feelings. He was also incredibly dense for being a genius. She knew that flirting wouldn't be enough to let him know the extent of her feelings. She would have to all but hand her heart over to him for him to realize what she wanted from their friendship. He had always been more interested in studying, missions, and books than girls, but he had grown up considerably and no longer had a daunting task hovering in front of him. Besides, he had given her little hints in letters and phone calls while he was still searching for the Philosopher's Stone, so she knew he felt the same way. It was possible he just did not know how to show it. Still, she was fed up waiting for him to accept any advance she made or to make one on his own. She was going to make it very apparent what she wanted and how she cared for him.

x x x x x

In General Mustang's office, a woman had left a note. She had brought it by before Mustang showed up, after Edward had gone into work. He didn't read the note. In fact, he did the best he could to ignore it as it sat on Mustang's desk, a reminder of why he let every opportunity to admit his feelings pass even though they remained strong. The only sane thoughts he had anymore were the ones that pleaded with him to not jeopardize what he already had with the General and the friends he had made. He set his mind to doing his work instead of dwelling on the problem. Approximately a half hour later, Mustang walked into the office. Edward notified him in his most neutral voice that someone had left him something on his desk. The General nodded and kept walking.

"Maria, probably." Ed rolled his eyes and continued working. _At least he didn't want to talk about her_. After a couple hours of poring over boring documents, Ed stretched and yawned, contemplating taking a short walk outside. It was a beautiful spring day and he yearned to be outside. He pushed back his chair and stood as a very determined Winry strode through the door. He smiled as she marched to his desk.

"Hey, Win. I wasn't expecting you." She shifted uncomfortably. He stared at her curiously. "What's wrong?" She shook her head.

"Nothinletsgoouttodinnertonight," she said the words so quickly that the words strung together.

"What?" Ed cocked his head to one side, unable to make a sentence out of the jumbled mess he had heard. He became concerned at her strange behavior.

"What's going on?" he asked in a stern voice. Heads popped up to watch the two. Winry didn't notice. She wrung her clasped hands together.

"Uhm, I said that we should go out to dinner tonight." Ed raised an eyebrow.

"O…kay. Was that all?" Winry smiled in relief. She gave an affirmative nod.

"Yes, that was it." Ed shook his head and chuckled.

"Yeah, we can go out somewhere. Anywhere you and Al want. It'll be nice to get out for a change." Winry's smile faded.

"Actually, I was thinking just you and me… go out…" Ed's eyes widened slightly as he realized what she was asking. He almost said no. He had the words on the tip of his tongue. Then he thought of how it would hurt her to be turned down in front of so many people they both knew. And how the General certainly wasn't turning down dates. He couldn't hold on to that hope forever. It wouldn't hurt to go out with her once. She was his oldest friend, after all. He thought for a minute, lost in his own thoughts. Winry's hurt voice brought him back. The entire office was not even pretending to do work anymore. They all listened for Ed's answer. Even Hawkeye glanced in their direction, her pen ceasing its movement across the paper in front of her.

"We don't have to… I just thought…" Her sentence trailed off. He held up a hand to silence her.

"Sorry, I was just thinking of where we could go on such short notice." Her face went from despair to joy and he heard a couple of cheers go up from the other side of the room. He laughed nervously as he took his friend by the arm and led her out of the room.

x x x x x

The mood in the room was light and happy, except in the office of Roy Mustang. He held his hands to his temples, massaging gently. He gave a deep sigh and speculated as to how it came to this. He knew it was coming. He saw it coming when the girl had told him of her love for Edward. And she had guessed right about the mutual affection. Part of him was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he would politely turn her down. Not because there was someone else, but just because he wasn't interested. In the privacy of his office, he mourned the death of something that had never been without shedding a tear. He thought for a while, his heart torn, and finally decided on just going home. Maybe it would be better in the morning.

x x x x x

A/N: Well, let me know what you think. I should be posting another chapter shortly.


	8. Office Romance

The entire walk home, Edward thought of ways he could let his friend down gently. It would just be the two of them, so no one had to know anything. He was bad at sugar-coating things and hated doing it. He gave up on his 'we're just friends' speech as he entered the apartment he shared with his brother. Al had decided to stay away from the military and help out a veterinarian in town. He worked strange hours sometimes, but loved the work. He still built things in his spare time, using alchemy more as they spent more time in their home world. Ed walked into the silent living room, still frustrated over how hard it would be to tell his friend he wasn't interested. He groaned out loud and headed for the shower. As the water coursed down his back, conflicting thoughts floated into his head. _Maybe I should at least try to have a relationship. Maybe not with Winry, though she is cute. For a girl. And loud. And opinionated. But that makes her fun to argue with. And she can be nice… sometimes. And she does care about me a lot. Maybe… _

Ed heard a female voice outside the door. He shut the water off.

"What?" He asked, loud enough to get through the door. There was no answer. He sighed and wrapped a towel around his waist. He cracked the door and peered out. He could see Winry in the living room, dressed in a short black skirt and a long brown jacket. Underneath, she wore a white t-shirt that definitely showed off her body. She turned, saw him looking at her, and smiled.

"Hey!" she called out, "Are you ready yet?" Ed frowned.

"Does it look like I'm ready?" He stepped out of the bathroom and crossed the hall into his bedroom. He threw on a black muscle shirt and his traditional black leather pants. He was glad for cutting his hair after he was released from the hospital. Normally, it would take forever for the thick mass to dry. Now that it was short again, it took no time at all. He grasped the knob. He was nervous. He was about to go on a date with someone he had known his entire life. Someone he had never been very interested in. Two different sentiments screamed protests in his brain. One told him to go have fun. The other told him to remember who he really loved. His mind floated back to the General and Maria. He decided that he would wait to see what happened and give a real relationship a try.

Ed turned the knob and stepped out to his pouting date. He sighed.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, crossing the living room to sit next to Winry.

"You don't have to be cross with me because I asked you a question." He sighed.

"Sorry. Let's get going, okay?" He stood and held his hand out to her. She looked up at him and shrugged.

"Okay." She stood begrudgingly. He smiled.

"You look beautiful." She could not help but smile. He had never said anything like that to her before. She took his hand and let him lead her out the door.

Once the two were seated at a small restaurant with menus in hand, conversation flowed easily between them. They talked about childhood memories and automail. The discussion shifted to theology and science. Winry didn't care much for all the formulas Ed presented, but listened nonetheless. The laughter they shared help wash away some of Ed's fear and the voice in the back of his head that kept telling him he shouldn't be there. A round of drinks helped to calm him and he became more relaxed in Winry's company. As the night wore on, the more Ed felt he saw another side of this girl who had liked him since they were children. He thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be able to talk to someone like this all the time. As much as they both enjoyed it, the meal came to an end and they found themselves walking down the sidewalk, neither too steady in their step.

Winry had tripped a street after they left the restaurant, so Ed wrapped his around her waist to support her. She wound an arm around his waist and leaned into him as they walked. Luckily, Winry's apartment was only two blocks away and Ed's was a few blocks beyond hers. Their laughter and light conversation from dinner stayed with them as they walked and continued up to Winry's door. For the first time during the walk home, Winry shifted away from Ed, fumbling in her purse to find her keys. After a couple of minutes of rustling and cursing, she found them and fished the keychain out. Before placing the key in the lock, she turned back to Ed.

"Do you wanna come inside for a few minutes?" Her words were slightly slurred, but not unrecognizable. Ed shrugged and nodded. His mind was clouded and he didn't much care whether he was with her or at home. They were already at her place, so stopping there would be the easier option of the two. They stepped through the threshold and Ed swung the door shut behind him. As soon as the soft click of the lock was heard, Ed was pushed gently back against the door. Before he could question why, hungry lips met his. Without realizing it at first, he returned the kiss. Half of him knew exactly what he was doing and pleaded with him to stop and consider what was going on. The other half was drunk and starved for another's touch. Still in a lip lock, he was pulled forward so that his body pressed against Winry's. She moaned a little into the kiss and broke away. She turned away from Ed and walked a couple of paces. She turned her head and shot Ed a look which clearly said 'come get me' over her shoulder. Ed complied.

x x x x x

Ed awoke the next morning, his head throbbing. He groaned and attempted to bring his hands to his temples. His left arm was trapped under something heavy. His eyes flew open as the events of the night before rushed into his head. He looked to his left side and saw Winry, half naked and snuggled up next him him, his arm acting as her pillow. Mentally, he panicked. This wasn't supposed to happen. And he hadn't called Al. He removed his arm as gently as he could and slipped into his boxers. He went to the phone and dialed his apartment. Al picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Sorry I didn't call. I, uh…"

"Stayed with Winry? She left me a note," his brother's sly voice interjected. _Damn_.

"Uh, yeah. So I'll be home soon."

"You better hurry, you're already an hour late for work," Al warned. Ed's eyes shot up to the wall clock.

"Ok, thanks." He cradled the receiver and quickly gathered his things. Without bothering to wake his sleeping partner, he slipped out the door and hurried the few blocks to his house.

x x x x x

By the time Ed arrived in the office, he was almost two hours late. The second he walked through the door, he noticed the somber attitude in the usually cheerful and busy environment. He looked questionably at Hawkeye who was seated behind her desk, buried in paperwork. She didn't look up as she spoke to him.

"General Mustang wants to see you to report on your progress." Ed nodded and headed toward the door that connected to the General's office. His heart thudded a little harder in his chest as he grasped the doorknob. He stepped inside and seated himself on the couch, waiting to question what exactly was going on. It was so unlike Ed to be quiet for so long that after a couple of minutes of silence, Mustang looked up from his paperwork.

"You're late," he stated simply. Ed shrugged. Mustang laid his pen down on his desk and laced his fingers, resting his chin lightly on top of them.

"I'm not surprised at your irresponsibility, but I would think that your brother would at least wake you up." Ed gritted his teeth. Mustang always knew exactly what to say to make Ed's temper flare up. He shot up from his seat, fists clenched at his sides.

"I'm not the only one who wanders into the office late and for your information, if I would have _had _my alarm clock or I would've been there for Al to wake up, I wouldn't have been late. But I have a better track record than you so far, so I don't see why you need to bitch about it." Instead of calmly telling Ed to settle down or yelling a counter argument back at him, Mustang said nothing. He stood and walked around his desk so he was standing in front of Ed.

"You're dismissed." Ed narrowed his eyes.

"For the day. And I expect a report tomorrow morning." Ed, blinded by anger, strode across the room, intending to hit the bastard or _something_. His pace and ability to become oblivious to everything when upset turned against him and sent him stumbling into the cause of his present irritation. He felt a hand on his waist, steadying him. All his reasons for being mad faded away and heat rose to his face. Neither of them moved until Ed risked a glance up at the General. Mustang released Ed from their demi-embrace and cleared his throat.

"Meet me here after work. For now, go home." The older man turned, gazing out of the window until he heard the door swing shut behind the older Elric. Then he mentally cursed himself for acting on such an impulse. He figured at least this way, he couldn't get around talking to Ed for once.

x x x x x

A/N: Sorry if there are any errors, I was up late writing. Let me know if you spot anything I missed and I'll fix it. I also wanted to thank the people that have subscribed to alerts for this story. It's always nice to see that others are enjoying it. The next part should be up in a few days.


	9. Wedding Bells

Ed had no idea what to expect from the man who had so coldly commanded him to leave then turned around and wanted to spend time with him outside of work. He did as he was told and showed up right as the rest of the office was heading home. No one questioned why he was there; they just said their usual good-byes and left. He ambled into Mustang's office and swung the door shut behind him out of habit. The General was scanning and signing papers and didn't seem to notice that anyone had entered the room. Ed plopped down on the couch, trying hard not to show how nervous he was about the invitation he had received. He leaned back and watched his superior work. The other man looked up for the first time and caught his stare. Ed looked down, but not before he caught the cocky smirk the General had flashed him. He heard a rustle of fabric and looked up again to see Mustang standing before him, hand extended.

"Sorry," the older man apologized quietly, "let's go." Ed hesitated for a moment. He did not believe he had ever heard Mustang say sorry without being sarcastic, especially to him. Uncertainly, Ed grasped the outstretched hand and allowed himself to be pulled easily to his feet. Ed tried to suppress the fluttering in his stomach, but the contact lasted no more than a few seconds. He followed the General out of the office without question, walking faster than usual to keep up. They walked off base and started down the street.

"So, General, where exactly are we going?" Ed inquired, attempting to sound casual.

"Roy," his superior remarked.

"Huh?" He had slowed his step out of bewilderment. Mustang noticed, stopped, and turned, waiting for Ed to catch up again.

"We're not at work. Here, I am not your superior. You can call me Roy." Ed shot a look at Roy, but obeyed.

"So, _Roy_, where are we headed?" The name was foreign on his tongue, but he found he liked it a great deal more than Mustang or General. Roy smiled.

"You'll see. It isn't too much farther." They walked the rest of the way in silence. They stopped in front of a small bar. Roy held the door and motioned for Ed to walk in. It wasn't hard to find two seats at the bar due to the lack of patrons. There were a handful of people at most, the majority sitting in booths. It wasn't a gloomy atmosphere, but it wasn't bright and happy, either. It was very… neutral. When Roy ordered drinks for the both of them, Ed shook his head.

"Al will kill me if I come home drunk." Roy rolled his eyes as if he had heard the stupidest thing.

"Then don't get drunk. One drink shouldn't hurt… unless you can't handle that much, considering your height and weight." Ed glared.

"I'm not short anymore. I'm almost as tall as you. You may not be able to see that, though. I know your eyesight goes when you get old." Mustang chuckled and held his glass up in a cheers gesture. He took a sip and fell silent. Ed followed in suit, concerned about Roy's sudden mood change.

"So why did we come here?" Ed had never heard of the bar and it was not a military hangout by any means. Roy seemed to be thinking about his answer. He played with his glass, turning it in slow circles with one gloved hand. It was a few moments before he said anything.

"I used to come here. With Meas. We would come after work a lot." Ed immediately thought of the Meas he knew from Germany. He nodded, understanding the importance of the small tavern. The two fell into a more comfortable silence. They sipped their drinks and listened to the soft music flowing from some unseen speaker.

"So what was he like out of work?" Ed asked suddenly. A sad smile came to Roy's lips.

"He was a lot different. He was more serious. He still tried to push baby pictures on anyone who would talk to him, though." Ed laughed quietly, remembering how annoying it had been to be followed around by the intelligence officer, particularly since he barely knew the man. Roy talked more about his old friend, then the conversation switched to the office and other military personnel. The older man became more candid as the duo shared stories of odd or interesting events. There were plenty since most of the staff in Mutang's office were prone to manic episodes and blonde moments. Caught up in conversation, the time flew by. Roy finished the story of how Hawkeye ended up with Black Hayate, then stood to stretch. He turned to look at the clock mounted on the wall behind them.

"We should probably go. We don't want Al to worry." Ed turned on his stool and saw it that was almost 10:00. He nodded his agreement and stood. He reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, but a hand softly grasped his arm.

"My treat," Roy smiled. Ed smiled back and couldn't help the flush that rushed to his cheeks when the older man held on to him a little longer than necessary. They walked back to base, talking intermittently on the way. Ed accepted the ride home he was offered, even though the walk was very short. As Ed exited the vehicle, Roy called out to him.

"Let's do this again." Ed smiled.

"Yeah, it was fun." With that, he turned and walked the two flights to his floor.

x x x x x

Ed walked through the front door and saw his brother sprawled out on the couch reading. Upon hearing the door, Al looked up and smiled.

"Were you with Winry?" Ed shook his head.

"No, why?" Al closed his book and set it down.

"Because you're _beaming_. Who were you with?" He thought for a second and added in a whisper: "Does Winry know?" Ed waved his hand dismissively at his younger brother.

"I was just with Roy, uhm, Mustang and we had a decent time together. We weren't fighting for once, so it was pretty fun." He mentally kicked himself for calling the man Roy. Al was smarter than that and Ed knew the questions were coming. He hoped that maybe it was missed.

"Hm. And when did you start calling him Roy?" Ed sighed.

"Tonight. He said since we weren't at work, that's what he wanted me to call him. And before you even ask, I was probably _beaming_ because I've never gotten along with him and I found out he's a pretty good guy. It makes me happy to know I'm not working for a pompous asshole. That's it." Al looked skeptical at the mini-outburst, but said nothing more about it.

Ed prepared for bed and went to sleep thinking about how just spending time with Roy Mustang could make him feel like everything when all he could think about while with Winry was how he was betraying his heart. He knew the reason, but he refused to accept it. Puppy love could be forgotten, but hurting his best friend couldn't. Unsure of what to do, he came to the same conclusion he had found before: wait and see what happens.

x x x x x

Even though Winry had moved to Central to expand Pinako's automail business to the city, the woman was not getting any younger and sometimes required Winry's help at home. This was what she told Ed on the phone the next day. She apologized and said she should be back in a week or two, but made no mention of their date. She did say that she would miss him and he assured her that it would be different without her around. He didn't have the heart to tell her he was secretly relieved to have some time to think. Although he did think a lot about what he would do, his heart remained in turmoil. On one side was his best friend and on the other was the man he was pretty sure he loved. When Mustang had said he wanted to go out again, it came sooner than Ed expected. They went out about three times a week for two weeks straight. Every time Ed went home after being with Roy, he made up his mind to let Winry know how he really felt. Ed and Roy had gotten more personal the more they talked and he found himself throwing innuendos out, half in jest. They were always returned lightheartedly, but it was enough for Ed to hope it was a hint and not a joke. He wanted to explore how far he could go, but did not want to be rejected and lose the connection he was making with his crush. Nor did he want to "cheat" on Winry, even if she informed everyone but him that they were "together." Every time he had her on the phone, her constant reassurances of love and missing him terribly kept him from telling her what he wanted to say. Winry phoned near the end of her second week in Risembul and told him that she was coming down with something and she wanted him to take some time off from working so hard to see her. He felt concern, but yearned to stay in Central. Ultimately, he agreed and convinced Al to come along with him.

The train ride was longer than he remembered and was glad when it finally pulled up to the Risembul platform. Winry wasn't there to greet them, which seemed odd. Al voiced his concern and the pair rushed to their friend's house. They entered the mostly dark house without knocking. Granny Pinako sat at the dining room table, just beyond the door. She looked the two boys up and down, smiling.

"Well, it took you long enough to come back." They both smiled and apologized for staying away for so long. In an instant, the outspoken old woman turned very serious.

"Winry's upstairs in her old room. I think you should go see her," she stated, nodding at Ed. Worry was plastered all over Al's face.

"Is she ok?" Ed looked towards the stairs.

"I think you should ask her." Ed nodded and the two started towards the steps. Pinako called after them:

"Alphonse, you stay. You can help an old woman get around." Al took the hint and moved back to the table. Ed climbed the stairs, hoping Winry wasn't a lot worse than she was letting on. He knocked softly on her door and without waiting for a response, entered. Winry laid in her bed, looking pale. She had a basket sitting next to the bed, which indicated she was not doing so well. He sat next to her and looked questioningly into her worried face.

"What's wrong?" She bit her lower lip in lieu of answering. She placed a hand on his and sat up.

"I think, no… Granny _knows_…" a small sob escaped her throat and she gripped Ed's hand tight. He gave a little squeeze back and waited patiently for her to finish. She looked terrified, but she caught Ed's gaze and held it.

"I'm pregnant." Ed's jaw dropped. Winry, looking small and defeated, not at all like herself, removed her hand and placed it in her lap. A million thoughts ran through his head, but Ed knew that he couldn't just tell her everything now. He had to be there and not run away from his mistake. Above all else, he did not want his child to not have a father. He nodded slowly, trying to process the information. He took the hand Winry had placed in her lap and kneeled at her bedside.

"Will you marry me?" He couldn't believe the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. Winry was equally shocked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Really?" she asked in a small voice. Ed nodded.

"Yes." Winry looked like she was going to cry.

"Oh, God, I never expected that reaction from you." She held his hand in both of her hands and leaned in close to press her forehead against his. Ed was mildly surprised by the comment.

"Why not? I'm here for you. We're in this together." She nodded and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I would love to be your wife." The word 'wife' hit Ed a little hard and he felt a twinge in his chest. Winry collected herself and the couple descended the stairs to announce the news.

x x x x x

A/N: Once again, I'm writing this sort of late, so if you spot any errors blah blah blah. I agree wholeheartedly with Pojo: Poor Roy. In any case, I absolutely love reviews and would like to know your comments on the story thus far. I'm already working on the next chapter so it should be up soon 


	10. Mission Statement

A/N: Finally! Another update! Because it's been so long, this one is a bit lengthier. When you guys come to the part about modern-day technology in the FMA world, please do not become angered. I can do whatever I want, as stated in the first chapter. I just didn't have any idea what else to put there to make the story flow. --' I hope you guys enjoy it! I # reviews!

x x x x x

Within days of the trio returning, everyone Ed knew had already heard of the engagement. He smiled politely when people congratulated him, but his mind raged that he was making a mistake. He shook it off every time, but retreated into work, finding excuses to be away from Central. He had finally been relived of desk duty and had taken up missions again, much to his young fiancé's dismay. He was away from her a lot, but he was fine with that. The more time he spent with her, the more annoying she got; she was always going on about decorations and flowers and baby stuff. A part of him knew he should be happy for the love and family she was offering him. The other part longed for something more than the simple life he knew he would have at her side. He rarely saw Mustang unless it was to report about a mission. The General never talked about anything personal in the office, at least where Ed was concerned. He had not really talked to the man since he had returned. After going on a few odd missions, none lasting more than a few days, Ed found himself on a train heading to the western headquarters. His goal was fairly simple: meet with an affluent general, stay around for a few days to talk with his men, and find evidence of corruption coming out of the office. A tip came in a few days prior, implying that General Caplan had been involved in one of the murders the police had determined was the work of a serial killer. The victim was an officer and the  
"anonymous" tip was from the western office. Caplan had been told that the Fullmetal Alchemist was going to work on the case with them for a little while.

After several tiring hours on the train, he reached his destination and was greeted by two men in uniform. They were all around the same height, but noticeably different ages. One soldier looked to be in his mid-twenties. The other man was older and heavier, with graying hair. Ed assumed this was the general. Caplan extended his hand and introduced himself. He shook it briefly.

"I want to thank you for coming all the way out here to help us solve this thing. Bastard got one of our own men. It's too late to brief you on everything tonight. You'll be staying with me." With the command issued, Ed threw his bag over his shoulder and followed the other two men to a waiting car. It was a short drive to the general's house with no words exchanged inside the stuffy car. Ed was glad to get out of the uncomfortable atmosphere. He followed Caplan inside, amazed by the size of the house. He knew the man was wealthy, but he didn't expect so much. They were greeted in the entrance by what looked like a maid. She smiled sweetly and nodded when Caplan told her to show Ed to his room. Caplan turned to Edward, shoulders squared.

"Get some rest, soldier. We're leaving at 0630 tomorrow, so don't be late." He turned and walked away stiffly. The house was eerily quiet. It didn't seem as though anyone else lived there, even though Ed was told Caplan had a wife and daughter.

"This way, please," the young maid stated quietly, turning down a long hallway. She led Ed to a guestroom and waited in the doorway while he unpacked a few items from his bag. She hesitantly spoke up.

"If you need anything, let me know." Ed smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, sure." The girl gave a small courtesy and just about fled from the doorway. Ed swung the door shut behind her and surveyed the room. It was bigger than he was used to, which wasn't a problem. He took off his watch and set it on the table adjacent to the bed. He kicked off his boots and stretched out on the mattress. In minutes, he was asleep.

x x x x x

Ed awoke the next morning to an insistent knocking on his door. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah?" he called out groggily. His door flew open and he saw a brunette standing in the doorway. She had her arms knotted under her breasts and looked angry. He mentally sighed. He was there for less than 24 hours and he had managed to piss someone off.

"Sherry knocked, but she's entirely too mild. I've only been at it for well over five minutes. I have to get ready too, you know. Daddy wants you ready. Now." She turned on her heel without waiting for a response, slamming the door behind her. Sherry, he guessed, was the meek maid he had met last night. Apparently, that had been Caplan's daughter. Bethany or something. Ed threw on some plain clothes, slipped into his boots, and grabbed his pocket watch off of the side table before running out the door. He navigated through the house to the front entrance and saw the general and his daughter waiting. He checked the time. 6:10. Bethany tapped her foot impatiently. She was dressed in a school uniform and kept looking at her wrist, probably at a watch.

"Daddy, can we go _now_?"

"Patience," he stated sternly, waiting for Ed to reach the two. Bethany huffed, but said nothing more.

"I trust you slept well," Caplan said, ignoring his daughter. Ed nodded. The general led the two out of the house. They climbed into a car which first stopped at an academy to let Bethany out before proceeding to western headquarters. Once inside the office, Ed got to work, reading over files that had been collected on the case thus far. Caplan had only been able to provide the information that Ed saw in the papers: five men dead, one military, all strangled, and all with an 'X' carved into their left hand. There were few other injuries other than the cause of death, and most consisted of bruising or resembled defensive wounds. Ed got bored reading the same thing over and over, tired of biding time to snoop around. He didn't see any opportunities, and by lunch time, he just wanted to get up and move around.

Ed dropped by the cafeteria and grabbed a sandwich. He wandered the mostly desolate hallways as he ate. He considered dropping in on a nearby office to ask about Caplan and his men. Every now and again, he would pass men in uniform standing in the hallway, conversing quietly. He didn't want anyone to overhear him talking about Caplan, so he ambled aimlessly, dreading pouring over papers he had already read through a few times. Ed considered calling Mustang to find out who exactly the tip had come from. Maybe then he could get some kind of lead or be able to talk to someone. Ed's ears perked up at a hushed conversation. He heard a distinct shush and stopped. He doubled back towards the sound, eyeing a men's room door. He swung it open and let it fall shut loudly. As silently as he could, he moved down the hall to try and catch some of the conversation. As he neared, he heard two voices, both male. One sounded frantic and slightly high-pitched. He could hear mumbling, but no words. He kept sliding down the hall, keeping his back pressed to the cool surface. He reached the corner at the end and listened hard.

"Stop freaking out," the deeper voice commanded.

"But they _know_."

"They will if you don't shut up. Now for the last time- did you get it done?" There were a few seconds of silence. Ed held his breath.

"Yeah," came the quiet reply, "but they won't find it on their own and we can't tell them about it."

"Be patient, they will soon. They're already snooping around him. And everyone knows he's protective."

"But what if they saw us?"

"They didn't, now shut up. Are you going over there today?" The voices grew louder. Their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. Ed didn't wait for a reply. He darted as quietly as possible to the men's room halfway down the hall and planted himself in front of the sink. He heard the casual conversation of the two men as they passed by the door. He heard the voices fade, then he ducked out of the bathroom. He didn't get out in time to see either one of the men and he debated following them. He decided against it due to the paranoia one exhibited a few minutes beforehand. The last thing he wanted was to have attention drawn to him by the pair. He strolled back to Caplan's office and found the general scanning over a mountain of papers. Ed stood quietly for a few moments in front of the man's desk.

"Uhm, Sir?" Ed shifted, uncomfortable. Caplan looked up.

"Yes?"

"I would like to talk to whoever is in charge of this case. I would like to know their perspective." Caplan considered the option for a couple seconds.

"Do you know where the police station is?" Ed nodded.

"Go there and ask to see Officer Harris. Let them know who you are. They should be more than willing to speak with you." Caplan looked back down at his work without another word. Ed turned and left, replaying in his head the strange conversation he had heard. The station was only a few blocks from headquarters, so Ed had a little time to think about what he would say. He just wanted to see what the police had on the killer.

He arrived at his destination and climbed the small set of stone steps. He walked inside and found a cluster of desks. Ed zeroed in on the one nearest the door where a younger officer sat. The apparent receptionist looked at Ed expectantly as he approached. Ed stopped in front of his desk and cleared his throat.

"I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist and I'm looking for Officer Harris." The young man smiled and reached out to shake his hand.

"Wow, I didn't think I'd get to meet you. You know, my sister's husband's family is from Youswell. They think you're a great alchemist." Ed smiled at the memory.

"Sorry to say, though, that Officer Harris isn't here today. He'll be back in tomorrow, though. I'll let him know you stopped by," he offered helpfully.

"Ok, thanks. I'll come by tomorrow, then." Ed turned to leave, throwing his hand up in a wave as he exited. There were only a couple of hours left in the work day, so Ed headed in the direction of Caplan's house. He wanted to call Mustang, but not over a military line. He hoped he would be able to use the phone there and to at least let him know that something else was going on in the west.

x x x x x

After a lengthy walk, Ed found himself at his temporary residence. He entered without knocking and immediately started searching for a phone. He didn't have to look too hard. He heard rather than saw Bethany gabbing away in the kitchen, talking in an annoyingly high-pitched squealing voice. She talked excitedly until she saw Ed.

"Yeah, yeah. Ok. Yes! Alright. No. I gotta go. Yeah. _Right _now. Bye." She cradled the receiver and eyed Ed. Then she sighed.

"I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't want to be late. I suppose I've been a tad moody lately." As she talked, Bethany moved to the stool Ed was standing next to. A remark about her menstrual cycle flew into Ed's brain, but he refrained from saying it. Ed shrugged.

"I got up." He leaned on the counter, eyeing the phone.

"It's just been so hard lately," she whined.

"What? Bad grades or something?" Ed inquired distractedly.

"No, my boyfriend died. He was murdered," she stated coldly. Ed's attention snapped to the girl sitting next to him.

"What?"

"The lieutenant who died? I was dating him. Daddy won't even talk to me about him." She pouted. Ed was taken aback. The man who had died was well into his twenties and the girl before him was still in school, early high school if he was guessing correctly. His mind drifted back again to the conversation he overhead.

"I'm glad you're here, at least." Bethany shot Ed a coy smile. He raised an eyebrow.

"Where's your mother, Bethany? And Sherry" Her eyes narrowed.

"Sadie! My name is Sadie." _Whoops_. She crossed her arms and crossly added: "My mother is visiting my grandmother. She'll be back later this week. Sherry's out grocery shopping or something." Ed considered his options, knowing he couldn't make a call without _Sadie _hearing everything. He stared at the phone again, thinking. He felt a hand on his arm and he looked down to meet Sadie's gaze. She gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Would you please just keep me company for a little while?" Her soft voice was testament to her ability to change moods in a split second. Ed hesitated.

"Oh, come on. You're not doing anything right now anyway."

"Yeah, but I should be working on this case."

"Then why did you come back here?" she asked sharply. Ed couldn't come up with a reason fast enough.

"Exactly. Come on, let's watch a movie."

"I'm not interested in movies." Sadie sighed dramatically. She pulled on his sleeve as a child would.

"Come on, please?" Ed resigned from thinking up excuses.

"If I can read during the movie." Sadie gave a little squeal and dashed off. Minutes later, Ed found himself in a dim living room, trying to ignore whatever the Hell it was that the girl was watching. He was glad he had taken some books from the library in Central before leaving. He was content sitting on the floor, leaning against a couch, reading about theories behind scientific breakthroughs in the recent past. Sadie sat next to him, silent, eyes glued to the screen across the room. A few pages into the first chapter, he felt Sadie lay her head on his shoulder. He shifted away from her and kept reading. Near the end of the first chapter, he felt a hand on his knee. Without taking his eyes off the page, he brushed it off. Ed was too absorbed in reading to analyze the situation. He saw Sadie move in front of him out of the corner of his eye. He frowned minutely as his eyes scanned the page. She moved her face close to his, effectively eclipsing his reading light. He sighed and put his finger in the book to keep his place.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed. The moment he set the book at his side, Sadie straddled his lap and planted a forceful kiss on his lips. Ed grabbed her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length.

"No," he said, as he would scold a puppy. She pouted and settled all of her weight onto his lap. She struggled a little in his grip.

"Oh, why not?" She ground into his lap. He released her arms and placed his hands on her hips. He pushed her back so she was kneeling in front of him.

"Because I'm getting married and we're having a child. Now back off." Sadie planted her hands on either side on Ed and leaned in close.

"Well, no one needs to know," she said seductively. A loud bang sounded at the front door and the two could hear muffled shouts. Sadie jumped up, leaving Ed on the ground, confused. She stopped before she rounded the corner.

"You'll regret this."

x x x x x

The police had found a damning piece of evidence during an investigation of General Caplan's office: the murder weapon. Officers had broken down the door to his home, looking for him. They had found only Ed and Sadie. The two were rounded up and brought to the station Ed had visited earlier. They were thought to have something to do with the murders, which Caplan had been arrested for. Under constant surveillance in a small interrogation room, Ed was allowed to call his commanding officer. Mustang picked up after the first ring.

"Roy Mustang."

"Get me the Hell out of here," Ed ground out.

"What's going on?" Mustang asked wistfully.

"Well, right now I'm being held at the police station by headquarters and the only person I can talk to besides the police is severely pissed at me. Oh, and General Caplan has been arrested."

"Let me talk to whoever is there with you," Mustang commanded. Ed handed over the phone and waited. The next few hours were uneventful, but he was eventually allowed to leave. He was escorted to gather his things from the general's house then jumped on the first train back to Central. Exhausted, he managed to sleep through most of the ride.

x x x x x

None of it made sense at first. Through the next several months, word would spread about what really happened to General Caplan. Central had been tipped off by the murderer. The two men Ed had heard talking were the one who planned and executed the homicides, staging the scene to make it look like a serial killer. In reality, every man who died had had something to do with Sadie. Either they had broken her heart, ignored her, or were simply in the way. One of the two soldiers had known Sadie for years and wanted her to notice him. The other, his friend, wanted to kill. Since Caplan was known for being a very protective father and rarely let Sadie be around males, especially those in the military, he had been set up. It was partially thanks to Ed's knowledge of the conversation, which he told to Mustang, and partially one killer's paranoia and guilt that led to their arrest and trial.

x x x x x

Upon arriving back in Central, Ed was summoned by Mustang. Ed drug himself into the office, still utterly confused about what had happened. He discussed everything he heard and saw, save what happened with Sadie. After Mustang got in touch with others who were proving information on the case, he turned back to Ed, who sat slumped on the couch.

"So, you're getting married." Ed looked up. He shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess." Ed sat forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

"You don't sound too happy about it." Ed shrugged again.

"Just tired." His lack of enthusiasm caused a smile to cross Roy's face.

"Meet me here tomorrow?" he asked casually. Ed's face lit up a little and he nodded. He tried not to show his excitement, but he was overjoyed that things were going to get back to normal.

"I'll see you then." Ed took his cue to leave and got up. He stretched a little, then headed for the door.

"Oh, and Edward?" Ed craned his neck to look back and his superior.

"Yeah?"

"It's nice to have you back." He smiled and left the office.

x x x x x

A/N: A little detour from the main story, but I couldn't not write it after I thought about it a little. Winry's been pushed into the background. No one likes her, anyway 


	11. Update Back Soon

Update: I am very sorry to inform everyone that I have had a hard time writing lately. I was mid-way through a chapter when my friend came to me and informed me that my wonderful fiancé whom I have been with for 4 ½ years has been cheating on me. It's devastating and I'm still trying to either work things out or let go. This means that I may not have the next chapter up very soon, but when I feel up to it, I will be writing more. The last thing I want to do is deviate from my story line and have everything get screwed up because I'm depressed. The story was supposed to have at least a somewhat happy ending and I don't want to compromise that. I was thinking of putting up the half chapter, but it literally stopped mid-sentence. Feel free to leave reviews for the chapters that are already up. I'll update/ post more chapters when they are finished. Thanks in advance for your patience.


	12. Home Arrest

It had not been easy to convince Winry that he _needed _to go see Mustang. She complained that reports and briefings could wait until the morning. He had promised to come home early. "Early" meant 8:00, as he was informed. He was fine with that, all long as he got to see Roy. As he had done several times before, Ed strolled up to the office as everyone was getting ready to leave. He waved a greeting to everyone in the outer office as he walked past, and entered Mustang's office without knocking. He sat on the couch and waited.

He didn't have to wait long for Mustang to give up on paperwork. He was barely working when Ed sat down. Without saying a word, Mustang strode over to Ed. Ed looked up at the general. Mustang extended a hand towards Ed. Ed, slightly blushing, took it, and was pulled to his feet. There was not enough room for two men between the couch and the coffee table. Ed found himself all but plastered against his superior. Unconsciously, he had placed his hands on Mustang's chest. Ed's face turned a dark scarlet, but he no move to put any distance between them. Meanwhile, Roy's conscience berated him. _He's getting married_. Mentally, he sighed. Roy shifted away the best he could in the confined space.

"It would be best to not mention this. We both have love interests, let's just…" Ed scoffed. Pain and anger flashed through his eyes. This was the same man who had flirted openly with him.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want your girlfriend to find out," Ed spat, shoving Mustang backwards. He barely missed toppling over the coffee table as Ed stormed out the door.

"And what about Winry?" Mustang called after him. Ed, just past the door, spun and gave a glare of death. Those who had not yet left the office, which happened to be mostly everybody, looked on at the scene.

"I don't even like her," Ed stated plainly, oblivious to the other officers in the background.

"Well, that is one Hell of a way to talk about your wife," Roy retorted, holding his ground inside his office.

"She's not my wife!" Ed practically screamed.

"Well, she's going to be. And you liked her enough to sleep with her," Roy stated coldly. The whole of the office was deathly silent.

"Once. God, fucking… once! And you wanna know the best part?" Ed leaned into Mustang's doorway, hands on either side of the frame.

"I don't remember a goddamn thing. And if it weren't for the situation, I _wouldn't_ be marrying her."

"She sure seems to love you. I take it she knows nothing of your feelings or motives?" Mustang harshly accused.

"No, she doesn't! I haven't had the heart to tell her that I'm hopelessly in love with someone else!" Knowing the mistake he had made, Ed headed for the outer office door.

"Not that they give a damn," he muttered bitterly, loud enough for everyone in the silent office to overhear. Mustang slammed his door shut as Ed disappeared around the corner. Everyone in the office looked at each other, not quite knowing what to say. Seconds later, Mustang burst through his office door and shot down the hall. Jean, whose unlit cigarette had fallen out of his mouth from awe, addressed Hawkeye.

"Did he go after him?" Hawkeye shrugged.

"I sure hope so. Neither one of them needs to be isolated right now." Quiet conversations picked up, a couple bets on the outcome went around the room. Very faded, but unmistakable, Ed's voice rang out, screaming a slew of curses. As the sound got closer, the conversations dwindled. Mustang literally dragged a screaming Edward into the office. Once inside the outer office doors, Roy released the boy and the yelling stopped. Ed pointed a finger at him.

"You touch me one more fucking time and I swear I will clock you." Ed turned yet again, attempting to leave. Roy reached out and grabbed his automail arm to pull him back. Then, the office saw something that they had never seen before: Ed swing at Mustang. And not miss. Immediately, the general's lip split open and bled down his chin. Without waiting a beat, Mustang threw a punch back, hitting Ed squarely in the nose. Even as he threw the punch, somewhere in the back of his mind, Mustang was relieved that he hadn't been hit by Ed's automail hand. Riza placed a hand on her gun.

"Fucking bastard." Ed threw more swings, this time not making successful contact as he did before. Within seconds, the two resembled boys fighting on a playground. There was no alchemy, which everyone was glad for, but Hawkeye did not like fighting in the office. Arguments were one thing. Acting like children was another matter entirely. She drew her pistol, aimed it at the wrestling pair, and drew back the hammer with a loud click. Much to her dismay, neither seemed to noticed. She sighed heavily and fired several "warning" shots into the wall. Both men stopped, more afraid of her than they were angry at each other.

"Stop acting this foolish. I won't miss again." Roy reached out and took Ed's hand, more gently than before and led him into his office. Ed didn't know what to do or say, he had pretty much said and done just about everything he had wanted to. As Ed entered the office, he swung the door shut out of habit. He stayed in front of the door, extremely uncomfortable. Mustang reached past Ed, locked the door, then pulled him into a tight embrace. Ed, more confused than ever, struggled a little bit. Roy put enough space between them to lean in for a kiss. It was hard and rough, but Ed eagerly returned it. Ed pushed away and backed himself up against the door.

"This is wrong," he said, without much conviction. Roy stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Ed's waist.

"Do you care that it's wrong?" Ed allowed his hands to travel up Roy's chest and encircle his neck.

"…No," he answered honestly. Roy leaned in again, his kiss more insistent. Ed melted into the kiss and leaned into the older man. Ed felt Roy's hands under his shirt, roaming over his bare stomach and chest. Ed moaned a little into the kiss, then pulled back for air. Roy dipped down to nip and suck at Ed's neck. Ed fumbled with the buttons lining the front of Roy's military jacket. After a minute of fighting with it, it finally came open and Ed pushed it to the ground. Roy removed his lips from Ed long enough to return the favor, sending the black tank top flying somewhere behind them. Ed pulled off Roy's white undershirt and found himself immediately in another lip lock. Mustang traced Ed's lips, begging for entrance. Ed parted his lips slightly and let Roy explore his mouth. Ed leaned forward, the soft skin against his sending electric shivers up and down his body. A loud bang made both men jump. Wrapped in each other's arms, disappointment registered on both of their faces.

"What?" Mustang all but growled, still holding Ed tightly to him. On the other side of the door, Hawkeye cleared her throat.

"Just wanted to make sure the two of you weren't killing each other in there." There was a hesitant pause.

"And you're not exactly being discreet." Before either had formulated a response, they heard the soft click of the outer office door swinging closed. Both relaxed when they realized that they were alone and no longer being unnecessarily foolish. Ed peered up into the older man's face and found a soft smile on the General's lips. He couldn't help but smile back, shaking his head at how quickly he had ended up in the arms of his love without ever meaning to. Mustang leaned in again, resting his head on Ed's.

"Come home with me?" Regretfully, Ed answered:

"I have to be home." Mustang's grip loosened a little and retreated a small distance. He studied Ed's face.

"I thought you said that you didn't love her _or _like her. Why would you go home to her now?" Ed sighed.

"She's pregnant. It's my fault. I can't just leave her."

"Well, it's at least partially her fault," Mustang grossed, determined to hold onto Edward. The younger man gave a sad half-smile and gently pushed the General off of him. He hunted down his shirt and slipped it over his head.

"She's still my friend. And I made her a promise. I won't just walk away. I know what it was like to not have a father growing up. I won't do that to a child." Mustang frowned, knowing that everything he was asking was wrong. He shrugged, gathering his own garments.

"I think you should tell her how you feel and let her make a decision based on all the facts, not just the ones you've already presented her with. You owe her that much." It was Ed's turn to shrug.

"Whatever I do, I'm going to hurt someone I care about." Ed waited until the last button on Mustang's uniform was buttoned before unlocking the door. The two walked out of the office, side by side, careful not to stand too close. The stopped in front of the building where they knew they had to part.

"Just let me think for a little while, ok? This isn't exactly easy." Mustang nodded, his mask in place, then turned and walked away without a sound. He did not look back until he rounded the corner, but felt fairly certain that he had felt the young alchemist's eyes on his back.

x x x x x

It took long enough, I know. The update the preceding this chapter will explain my absence if you want to know. Homework permitting, I should have something else up relatively soon, assuming another major disaster doesn't come my way.


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